Here is a recap of what happened in the search forums today, through the eyes of the Search Engine Roundtable and other search forums on the web.
Google I/O was yesterday and I dug into all the big announcements in search including AI Mode rolling out in the US, new AI mode labs features like Deep Search, Live Search, complex analysis and charting, personalization, the agentic features and more. Google AI Overviews also expanded, which no one is surprised about. Also, seeing search ranking volatility heat up during I/O. I also had a one-on-one with a Google executive, where I ask some pointed questions. Google AI Overviews also tests hiding links and embedding author names. Google Business Profiles has a bug with its knowledge panel, sometimes.
Search Engine Roundtable Stories:
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Google AI Mode Live In US: Tests Deep Search, Live Search, Personalization, Custom Charts, Shopping & Agentic
Google had a lot of news out of Google I/O, as you would expect. The big item, which we predicted, was that AI Mode is now available to all US searchers without having to opt into it within Search Labs. Plus, Google is testing a number of new features in AI mode including Deep Search, Live Search, personal context, custom charts, AI shopping and yes - Agentic features. -
Google AI Overviews Expand Again & Lead To 10% Query Growth
Surprise, surprise, as I called it, Google is expanding AI Overviews into more regions. I mean, we saw this being leaked a couple of weeks ago, so it is not shocking news. But at I/O, Google said AI Overviews are "now available in more than 200 countries and territories and in more than 40 languages, with support added for Arabic, Chinese, Malay, Urdu and more." -
Google I/O 2025 Search Ranking Volatility Heats Up
Google Search seems to be super volatile today and yesterday, so I will call this the Google I/O 2025 Google unconfirmed update. I am seeing a spike in chatter within the SEO community along with many of the tools showing super heated volatility within the Google search results. -
Google AI Overviews Tests Hidden Links
Google seems to be testing hiding the citations, link icons, for the AI Overviews default view. So when the AI Overview first loads in the Google Search results, the link icon is hidden. -
Google Business Profiles Bug Hides Right Knowledge Panel
For the past few weeks or so, Google has a bug where the right side knowledge panel goes missing for business owners when you try to bring up your business listing in Google Search. This is not impacting everyone and it can be random but Google is supposedly aware of the issue and is fixing it. -
Google AI Overviews With Author Names & Citations
Google seems to be testing showing author names and website citations in the AI Overviews. I am honestly not sure if this is new but Christian Kunz said it was and posted about it on his blog and on X. -
Sergey Brin Surprise Appearance At Google I/O
Guess who stopped by to say hi at Google I/O? Yes, me but who that is not a surprise. Sergey Brin, one of the Google co-founders, stopped to talk on future of AI and its impact on our world topic at I/O.
Other Great Search Threads:
- … I’m back! and just in time for I/O tomorrow!, Nick Fox on X
- Google Discover on desktop for US users with a larger aspect ratio than Google Discover on desktop in New Zealand ... And Same feature as Google Discover on mobile with the recommendation request: "Is this a good recommendation for, Damien (andell) on X
- In this video, we can see that we can give a "review, rating" to a movie. We can see that this sends a rating directly to Google for the entity in the example, Damien (andell) on X
- Let me be very clear about the Helpful Content Update. When Google announced this update, THEY were the ones who went on record claiming that recovery is possible, and that sites could begin to regain traffic after making changes, Lily Ray on X
Search Engine Land Stories:
- Google AI Overviews expand to more users
- Google launches AI Mode to all U.S. searchers with new features
- Google Search goes ‘Live’ with real-time camera help
- Google Search adds AI try-on, previews agentic checkout
- Google Ads costs rise again, but conversions improve: Report
- Link building in 2025: 12 ways to win or fail
- Top 10 PPC tools you should be using in 2025
Other Great Search Stories:
Analytics
Industry & Business
- Congratulations to Barry Schwartz on 100K YouTube Subscribers, Aimclear
- Google I/O 2025: Questions Swirl Around Search; Gemini AI Updates; Stock Reaction, Barron's
- Meet Fidji Simo: The Instacart CEO Tasked With Getting OpenAI to Turn a Profit, Wall Street Journal
Links & Content Marketing
- Beware of shady backlink tactics, Ilana Davis
- Content Quality Signals for AI Algorithms, BrightEdge
- How LLMs Interpret Content: Structuring for AI Search (Unedited Version), Cshel
- How To Uncover and Improve Broken Content Experiences, Content Marketing Institute
Local & Maps
- Android Auto will get weather and video apps soon, Google says, 9to5Google
- Creating a Google Business Profile that converts, Oncrawl
- Google’s New 'AI Mode' for Search: The Impact on Trip Planning, Skift
- How to Optimize Google Maps Citations for Local SEO Success, Semrush
- How to Track Search Engine Rankings in Multiple Cities and Zip Codes, Igniting Business
Mobile & Voice
- Apple Intelligence set to be opened up in iOS 19 to third-party developers, AppleInsider
- Google Gemini Is Set to Replace Google Assistant for Voice Commands: Here's What I Know, CNET
- My demo with Google's AR glasses went better than the one on stage, Android Central
SEO
- AI Overviews ARE Impacting SEO. Here's What to Do About It, WordStream
- Beating Google at It's Own Game, Sara Taher
- Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO): When to Dial it in (and How to Get Started), Seer Interactive
- How AI is Transforming SEO, Generix Marketing
- How to Make Your Brand Unmissable in AI Search, Koozai
- LLMO Is in Its Black Hat Era, Ahrefs
- SEO Checklists – Friend or Foe?, Chris Green
- Threat Actors Deliver Bumblebee Malware Poisoning Bing SEO, Cyber Security News
PPC
- New UI-Only Image Optimization Features for Performance Max Campaigns, Google Ads Developer Blog
- Unlocking Smarter Paid Search: Why Structure Is Your Secret Weapon, Brainlabs
Search Features
Other Search
Feedback:
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